The Corrupted Blood
by S4NDM4N
Summary: Hyrule has fallen. The fierce warriors of the Desert have taken claim to the throne, and their leader has an iron grip on the land and it's people. The former rulers, the Royal Family, are all presumed dead. Can someone rise up?
1. Prologue

Hello! This is my first fic, and I certainly hope it will be finished as well. Reviews will help keep me motivated! R&R!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters who originate from the Legend of Zelda games by Nintendo, the others are mine!**

**Zelda: The Corrupted Blood**

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Death.

Only one word could possibly describe the events occurring in the capital of Hyrule. Fires were rapidly spreading from one house to the other, and corpses litered the streets, either burned to death or run through by one of the curved blades of the Gerudo Tribe.

The attack had come unexpected, during the night. Hundreds of Gerudos had assaulted the peacul inhabitants in their sleep, showing no mercy nor regret. The defense of the city had little to no possibility to protect themselves, lest the people around them. Townspeople desperately tried to escape the terror, but they were either cornered by the assassins or trapped inside the flaming buildings.

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The royal castle fared no better, since it was the prime focus of the relentless assault. Everyone from maids and servants to nobles were instantly slain, and the great and merciless leader of the Gerudo was in the middle of the carnage, swinging his massive sword at anyone within range, slowly moving towards the royal chambers.

The King of Hyrule was in a state of total panic. He saw his subjects being slaughtered, the blood running down the streets, corpses littering the landscape. Doom was inevitable for his kingdom.

He had fled deep into the castle with his newborn daughter along with her guardian, but the approaching Gerudo were closing in on them. The King quickly needed to devise a plan to ensure their safety, at least that of his daughter.

He led the way to the library where he remembered there used to be a hidden passage leading to a wine cellar in the outskirts of the town. It was the only means of escape. Suddenly, he heard shouts coming from behind them, not very far away. They didn't have much time.

"Impa, take her down to the library and take the passage behind the bookcase at the far end. Get her out of the town, lead her to safety," the King said to his servant, fear and concern showing in his eyes.

"What about you, your Highness? I cannot leave you alone!," she replied.

The King shook his head. "There is no time, I will delay them from pursuing you for as long as I can."

"They'll kill you!" she yelled.

"It's better than to have my daughter slain because of my own selfish actions! Please, do this for me, not your king, but your friend. Please, save my little girl", he said silently while unsheathing his sword.

She reluctantly nodded and ran off down the narrow corridor while the king waited with his sword held high. He gave a silent prayer to the Goddesses.

And with that, the assassins came speeding into the room. The king held his ground, exchanging blows with the incoming warriors. He managed to wound one or two of the first, but he was quickly growing tired and their numbers were overwhelming. He felt a blade bite into his right leg, and, with a grunt, he fell to his knees. His sword was flung across the room, and he looked up to see the sharp end of a massive sword right between his eyes. His eyes widened at the sight of the man above him. With his dark clothes, greenish skin, fiery red hair and black eyes which seemed like the endless abyss, this could only be the King of the Gerudo.

Ganondorf was his name. 

Ganondorf grinned evilly at the sight of the kneeling figure in front of him, taking satisfaction in the fear emanating from him. He placed the tip of his sword at his throat and made him look upward into his eyes.

"Where is your little princess? Left her in her bedroom while you scurried away to save your own hide?", Ganondorf said coldly with a huge grin.

The king gave him a hating glare and spat at his feet. "I would never abandon my daughter or anyone in my family, unlike you, you inhuman demon!"

Ganondorf only grinned wider at his comment. "Very well, but why don't you tell me where they are then, and I might consider giving you a relatively painless death."

The king just sighed at the proposal. "As if I could be bought at such a low price…I'd go through centuries of torture to ensure the safety of my loved ones. You won't get anything out of me!" He spat at the Gerudo's feet.

Ganondorf's amusement quickly turned into fury, and he forcefully impaled the king through his stomach, bursting through the spine. The king gasped and his eyes went wide in shock, before his lifeless form slumped to the floor.

Ganondorf signaled to his warriors to search for the princess and he walked off to inspect his new home, all the while grinning to himself in clear satisfaction. "Finally, it's all mine!" He erupted into a thunderous laugh that seemed to shake the very walls around him, and disappeared into the shadows.

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Impa ran in the shallow water of the underground tunnel with the princess cradled in her arms. She had to run carefully through the darkness to avoid stumbling while she made her way to the exit. After a few minutes she spotted a faint light at the end of the long tunnel. The king had told her that he'd put a horse at the exit for them to use in their escape, and she greatly wished that it hadn't been discovered.

Suddenly, a feathered arrow sunk into her left shoulder, almost causing her to stumble and fall. She glanced backwards and, to her terror, she spotted several shadows running in pursuit. She ran faster towards the exit, feeling the arrows soaring past her, determination in her eyes.

As she neared the end of the tunnel, a second arrow embedded its head into her right thigh. She grunted from the surge of pain, but still forced herself forward.

The neigh of a horse gave her hope, and she forced herself forward even faster, the moonlight spreading its veil, revealing a dozen Gerudo warriors up ahead of her. She abruptly halted, fear grazing her gray eyes. Her back jolted in pain as three arrows embedded themselves in between her shoulder blades, causing her to fall to the ground.

She saw a tall female Gerudo snatch the princess from her grasp…and her world went black.

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What do you think? Give some creative criticism or encouragement and no flaming please! Will update as soon as I can!


	2. Chosen?

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters who originate from the Legend of Zelda games by Nintendo, the others are mine!

**Chapter 2**

Eighteen years have passed since the massacre upon the Hylian people. Liberty has been completely abolished by Ganondorf's laws and oppression, and the people are living in constant fear of either being killed or simply starving to death. Nearly all towns are being surveiled by Gerudo forces, except for a few ones within either the deep woods of Kokiri or the high peaks of Death Mountain.

Almost noone knows what really happened that day eighteen years ago, and the people have been told that the Royal Family, who had ruled at that time, were corrupt and that they brought disaster upon themselves, and that the Gerudo had come to set things right. The members of the Royal Family had been announced dead, leaving no heir to the throne.

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The gentle warmth of the sun was cascading down upon the small village of Giram, and the people were starting to wake up. The village was one of the last free towns in the country, due to its location deep within the woods. Although they weren't attacked by Gerudo or other warriors loyal to the crown, they still had their fair deal of beasts and other creatures from within the woods to deal with. Therefore the inhabitants, mostly the boys, were trained in combat from a young age, training them to become skilled with mainly the sword and the shield. They did not seek war, but war sought them…

Link had woken up early an, as usual, he went straight to the training field to get some morning exercise by practicing on either wooden dummies or sparring with other youths. He had just turned eighteen, and had officially been acclaimed a man, but instead of celebrating it, which mostly stood for drinking and fooling around with the ladies, he kept up his training, hoping to grow stronger.

"Hey, Link!"

He turned around to be greeted by the familiar face of his childhood friend, Saria, who curiously still looked like a teen-year-old despite her age of seventeen. She was always bugged about her appearance.

"Hey, Saria, what're you up to?", Link replied, yawning sleepily.

"Oh, don't tell me you've forgotten that we're supposed to go see the Forest Temple today! You promised, you know! You big meanie!", she pouted.

"Allright, allright, no problem. Geez, calm down!" He shook his head defeated.

"Come on, lets go already! You're always so slow!" She started running.

Link sighed and ran after her until she stopped at the bridge leading out of the village, where she waited for him to catch up. They then went on through the woods, keeping a sharp eye open for trouble, while talking about everyday things.

After about an hour, they stood in front of the Forest Temple, a stone structure which was told to have been built a long time ago by some ancient race who worshiped the forest.

Saria started jumping in excitement but her happy face quickly turned to disappointment as she laid her eyes on a sign up front; "Entrance Forbidden".

"What's the big deal?" She stomped her foot several times in dismay."We came here for nothing? Well I'm not going back!" And with that, she started climbing in.

"Woah, woah! What're you doing?" Link asked with a confused look.

Saria looked over her shoulder and gave him a mischievous smile. "Oh, nothing!"

Link sighed once more and started climbing after her. No matter what rules there were, he wasn't going to abandon a friend in the middle of the forest.

They went through the long stone corridors, careful not to stumble upon a rock or branch sticking out of the ground. After a while, they came upon the main chamber; a large room with pedestals spread throughout it and a large stone door adorned with ancient symbols from a language almost noone could decipher, but people said that only one chosen by the Gods could open it. Well, to Link, they were all superstitious nuts to believe such tales. Chosen by the Gods, yeah right! Still, it seemed like he recognized this place, call it déja vu, that he had seen this before, which he obviously hadn't, because he has never been here before!

"Wow, this place is amazing!" came Saria's voice. She went up to the small pedestal in the middle of the room. It had a small frame with the weird language written on it with ornament encircling the words. "What do you think it says?"

"How would I know? Meh, I don't even care!" he replied sourly. He went up and stood beside her, inspecting the words with sudden interest. He didn't know where it came from, but words suddenly formed in his mind as he looked at the writings. Now this was becoming really weird!

"Chosen children, one free, the other held imprisoned. Should both be free, hope will be found. Should both be captive, hope will be abolished." He whispered.

Saria looked at him, shocked. "How the hell did you read that??"

"I wish I knew…" he answered quietly."Wait, there's more over there." He walked up to another pedestal with more writings on its surface.

"Chosen children, doomed to conflict, doomed to face their brother, doomed to feel the burden of the world upon their shoulders." He frowned at those words.

"Who are those children, anyway? Oh, maybe it's us!" She squealed with sudden interest.

Link just shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. These things are just myths, and anyway, I don't seen one of us imprisoned, hmm?"

He turned his head towards the large door, eyes inspecting the rather large symbols engraved upon its smooth surface. "Chosen child, step forth".

Unconsciously, he started walking towards it, as if drawn by some invisible force, until he stood inches away from the door. He stretched his arm forth to touch it, and the second his palm pressed against the surface, a large rumbling caused the whole room to convulse, as if there was an earthquake. His eyes widened in surprise as the door started opening. He stared shocked at it until it was quiet once again. Saria stepped up beside him, her gaze never leaving his.

"How in HELL did you do that?!" she practically yelled at her friend, who just stood there as if he hadn't heard her. He just started walking forward without a single word in her direction. Frustrated, she ran after him.

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"My lord! The scouts have news for you!"

The man turned around, eyes fixed on the messenger. Cold, black eyes scanning the expression of the young boy in front of him.

"What is it?" he replied with no interest whatsoever.

"They have found an illegal village in the woods, my lord. They have not been paying any taxes or fees from where they are."

The man frowned. Not paying taxes was the same as treason to him….and treason carried penalty of death. He had to show the people his power to scare them into submission. He formed an evil smile at the corner of his mouth, he always enjoyed "setting people straight".

"How many inhabitants, and are they armed?" he asked the messenger without showing any emotion.

"About three hundred, my lord, and yes, they do seem to carry weapons."

The man snarled, carrying weapons was also a crime. He had to settle this immediately. The last thing he needed was a rebellion.

"Send out two batallions along with the scouts to the village, and secure the place.

"What about the people there, sire?"

The man thought for a minute, then, grinning, he replied;

"Spare noone!"

"And the women and children?" the messenger asked with uncertainty.

The man glared at the messenger with anger in his eyes.

"I said, spare noone!" he yelled, causing the messenger to wimper and scurry away to carry out his orders.

When he was alone again, he chuckled quietly to himself. "I needed some entertainment." He eyed the country from his window, all the time grinning to himself. "Poor people, they will never see it coming." He said coldy, and erupted into a thunderous laughter that echoed from the walls in the entire castle.


	3. Entertainment

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters who originate from the Legend of Zelda games by Nintendo, the others are mine!**

**Chapter 3**

Walking through the damp corridors that seemed to go on forever, Link quickly became frustrated. Why had he bothered in the first place? It was like he couldn't control his actions. This was really starting to get creepy.

"How long is this damn tunnel, anyway?" he spat.

"Aww, don't tell me you're tired already! You need to work on your physique!" she teased.

Link rolled his eyes and went further into the long tunnel, until he could see a vague light emanating from the end. As they neared the end, they could see a large statue in the middle of the new room. It seemed to represent some sort of dragon, with wings, long claws and a long mouth with large teeth. In its folded hands was a small chest ornamented with different kinds of jewels, and it seemed to shine in the darkness. Link approached it carefully, expecting everything.

"Are you sure we should open that? I mean, we shouldn't even be here!" she asked with a whisper.

"It couldn't hurt, could it? It's not like someone will miss it" he replied, and stepped in front of the small chest, and carefully opened it. Inside was a fist-sized gem, seemingly black in colour with long streaks of red along the surface. Its core seemed to swirl around in a blaze of different colours, as if they struggled to escape imprisonment. He slowly reached out towards it, and gently grabbed it from its resting place. He inspected it thoroughly before shoving it into his pocket. "This could make a nice souvenire!" he grinned.

"Are you sure you should take that? It's not like its yours, you could get into trouble." She worried.

"Relax, noone knows we're here, and I doubt anyone knows this thing even exists."

She nodded with uncertainty and they began to walk towards the exit.

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He overlooked the selected batallions and shouted several orders to various captains and scouts. They had begun their march towards the woods, carefully following the instructions of the trackers. He smiled to himself, this would be a grand evening. He polished his double-edged sword, causing it to shimmer a deep black, and sheathed it once more. The village was not far away, they would be there in less than an hour according to the scouts, and the soldiers were growing anxious, their weapons thirsting for blood. He smiled evilly once more. "Yes, a grand evening, indeed!"

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The sun was setting, and a damp twilight set over the village. Children scurried towards their home, happily eating dinner with their families, unaware of the coming threat. Warriors ended their practice and settled down for the day as well. Only a few lookout scouts were outside by now. They were used to sit in the treetops spying the landscape for threats, in case of an emergancy.

One of the scouts, sitting on a tree branch in the outskirts of the village, was enjoying a little meal while on lookout, when sudden movement in the woods caught his eye. His trained eye could make out the shapes of humans, many of them, carrying weapons. Panicking, he sounded a distress signal, sounding over the entire village. No sooner than he did, four arrows pierced through his leather jacket, letting him drop, dead before he hit the ground.

The attackers swarmed into the village by the hundreds, shooting flaming arrows at the houses, causing the villagers to panic. Villagers were cut down on sight, women and children included. Noone was spared. The warriors of the village fought back the best they could, by they were both unprepared and horrendously outnumbered, and soon, almost all the people were slain. Blood was shed, cries were heard….Noone was spared.

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Link and Saria finally emerged from the temple exit, the sun stinging their eyes. They still didn't know what the gem was for, but maybe they could ask some elder in the village when they got back. Suddenly, Link caught a smell, almost like someone was frying food, but when he lookad up over the treetops, he caught sight of a large pillar of smoke and fire above the trees. Saria, who wondered what he looked at, gasped at the sight.

"Isn't that where the village is? What's happening?" she asked with fear showing in her eyes.

Link had a bad feeling about this. "Come on, let's go find out! And we better stay off the road, just go be safe." Saria nodded.

They ran through the harsh bushes and tall grass in the direction of the village, when they heard agonizing screams and cries, and also the sound of steel against steel. They hid behind a tree near the village and gazed past it. What they saw made them both gasp in terror.

There were fires everywhere, bodies littering the ground, and unfamiliar soldiers roaming around, slaying all in their path. The sight almost made them scream, but they clamped their mouths shut, to avoid detection. When things seemed to calm down, meaning that most townspeople were slain, they caught sight of a tall dark-clothed man wielding a massive double-edged sword. He seemed to be the leader of the attacking force, and he looked none the less, his black eyes showing no mercy nor pity, and an evil grin grazing his features. He shouted what seemed like orders to the soldiers and they brought forth an old man, whom Link recognized as the town elder, a pale expression on his wrinkled face. Saria shook in fear, because he was also her grandfather. They could now hear the discussion taking place not too far away from them.

"So, Elder, you thought you all could get away with these treasonous acts? You know all too well that not paying taxes is a serious crime against the crown…against me!" The man pulled his hood off, revealing his blazing red hair and green skin. He grinned evilly at the fear in the older man's eyes.

Ganondorf strode closer and closed the gap between them, their faces only inches apart. The elder struggled to speak, but could not find the words. He could only do what he could, plead silently for mercy.

Ganondorf chuckled at the older man and rested his sword on his shoulder, the sharp edge grazing his throat, drawing a thin line of blood. "Tell me, what other villages can be found in the proximity of this forest?" he asked coldly.

The Elder said nothing, only staring at the ground, daring not to speak. Ganondorf, unsatisfied with the silence, lost his patience with the old man. He cut the old man's head cleanly off his shoulders with one swipe of his sword, letting the dead body fall forwards.

Saria almost shrieked, but Link quickly covered her mouth with his hand, not desiring to give them away. She burrowed her hed in his shoulder, letting her tears fall. Link only watched the scene in anger, contempt, as he saw the dark man turn around and leave, his soldiers following him out of the burning village.

Ganondorf chuckled to himself. "Good thing I came along. I did need the entertainment." He grinned evilly.


	4. Prison

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters who originate from the Legend of Zelda games by Nintendo, the others are mine!**

**Come on people, give me reviews:P**

**Chapter 4**

They had run away, though they did not know where they were headed. All that mattered was to escape the terror they had just witnessed. They were both deeply shaken, especially Saria, who had to witness the murder of her grandfather. Link was left with nothing but a seething hatred for the crown, but all he could do at the moment was to comfort Saria in her despair.

"They killed him…No, they killed everyone!" she sobbed, recalling the attack.

Link wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a vague attempt to stop her tears, failing miserably. "We can mourn them later, but we need to get to a town before nightfall. I'd say we head for Kakariko, it's quite close."

She nodded, wiping her tears, and they both started walking once again.

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She sat down in her room, as she always did, except when she was brought out for food. It was well decorated, having a well-cushioned bed and expensive furniture, but to her, it was nothing but a prison. She had been here for as long as she had remembered, only feeling the outside air a couple of times. She sighed sadly, she longed to be free, longed to go wherever she wanted, without anyone barring her path. But it was nothing but a hopeless dream. Here she was, and here she would remain, until the ravages of time claimed her.

She had never known where she had came from, or who her parents were. All she had been told was that they were traitors who caused their own demise, and that the new king had taken care of her in their absence. She snorted at that tale, she knew better than to trust someone like Ganondorf. Still, it was the only reality she had ever had.

She had heard the news, the army had attacked a village of "traitors" and they slew everyone. In a way, she envied the dead. At least they had been free when they died, unlike what her fate had in store for her.

Oh, how she longed to be free, or at least get out of this prison. To feel the gentle breeze of the wind upon her face, letting her long, golden hair flow behind her as a cloak, letting all worries disappear. A single tear fell from her crystal-blue eye at the thought. It was only a dream…

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They arrived at the town gates in the evening, just as the sun started to disappear in the horizon. They had little trouble getting through the gates, and they asked some locals where they could find a suitable inn to stay at. They entered the building and paid for one room, since they couldn't afford separate ones, and decided to go to bed, it had been a tiring day for both of them.

"Link, what are we going to do? We can't stay forever…" she muttered while lying in her small bed.

Link shrugged at the question, he didn't have an answer. "I don't know, we probably have to find some place to stay, at least for a while… Hey! Maybe we can sell this gem thing we found for some money, so we won't have to starve."

Saria looked doubtful. "I don't know, Link…Maybe that stone is really important, you know?…But I guess you're right, we need money to survive, it's probably the best thing to do."

Link nodded in respone, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, they decided to go to a jeweller to get the stone inspected. That the stores were often overlooked by royal guards didn't bother them at the moment. The streets were fairly crowded and they made sure to keep their pockets safe from thieves amongst the crowds. The last thing they needed was to lose what little resources they had. Some kind of circus was currently in town, and Saria seemed to be thrilled, jumping up and down lika a child outside a candy store.

"Let's hang around for a bit to see the circus! Come on, please?" she pleaded with puppy eyes.

Link sighed. "Whatever. You can hang around for a bit, and I'll go get the gem inspected. I'll meet you at the inn later, okay?" She nodded and ran off.

Link walked towards a store that said "Jeweller" and went inside. There were two armed guards stationed inside, but Link paid them no mind. He went up to who seemed like the owner and got his attention.

"Good day, my young sir. What brings you here on such a bright day? the older man asked anxiously.

"I thought you might be able to give me some information about this peculiar gem I found somewhere." Link replied pulled the stone from his pocket. The owner recoiled at the sight, eyes wide with what seemed like fear.

"Where did you find that?!" the owner practically yelled.

Link raised an eyebrow at the man's sudden bevahious. "Some kind of ruin in the woods, why do you ask?"

The jeweller studied the gem carefully, noticing the thin lines of gold along its surface, and also the swirl of colours in its centre. He mumbled something under his breath as he put it down on the table.

The man cleared his throat. "Young man, the only time I have seen something such as this was in some ancient writing describing some strange magic or something. These kinds of gems are known as Stalacites, but that's really all i can tell you. I'm sorry." Link raised an eyebrow to this new tale. Weird.

Suddenly, a guard came up and snatched the gem from the counter and put it in his bag. "We'll take that, and you, boy," he put his sword to Link's throat, "are coming with us!

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It's kinda short, I apologize for that. Things are getting kinda weird for our young fellow. What will happen? Give me more reviews and I'll give you the answers!


	5. Meeting

Sorry for the wait guys, been kinda busy with "Social" stuff, anyway, here we go, chapter 5!

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters who originate from the Legend of Zelda games by Nintendo, the others are mine!**

**Chapter 5**

Darkness surrounded him, and he couldn't see his own hands in front of his face even if they weren't chained to the wall behind him. Anger and confusion wrecked his mind, what had he done wrong? They just threw him in here because of that stupid stone. He didn't know how long he had been been imprisoned, it could be days or it could be months, and he simply didn't care.

"Damn this place, damn that stone and most of all, damn the crown!" He yelled into the darkness. Tears started to form in his eyes, but he wouldn't allow them to fall. Warriors didn't cry, never. All he could do was pray to the goddesses for some miracle to happen, too bad he wasn't religious.

Suddenly the sound of a door opening echoed through the damp rooms, and the sound of footsteps upon the stone floor reached his ears. A torch was lit and a vague light spread throughout the room, revealing three armed soldiers. One of them went forward and roughly unlocked his chains, and the others janked him up from the floor by his arms and pulled him out of the room.

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Ganondorf sat on his throne, examining the strange stone in his hand. He never thought this day would come, and he silently thanked the Goddesses that they had caught the boy before he could do any further harm. Heck, the boy probably didn't know what he could do, and he never would if Ganondorf had his way.

The massive doors swung open and a dozen guards marched in, bringing the young boy with them. Ganondorf arose from his throne and marched up to the boy, inspecting him thoroughly. _"This is him?" he thought. "He isn't even old enough to marry someone yet. What a jest!" _

"Tell me, boy, how did you find this little stone?" he asked coldly, his eyes never leaving the boy's pale face.

Link didn't answer, having a sudden interest in his feet, staring at the floor beneath him. Ganondorf snorted and grabbed his throat, holding him in the air.

"You WILL tell me, boy! Or you will find your stay very uncomfortable! Now, TELL ME!" he roared, making the guards cring back in fear.

Link's eyes widened with fear and he struggled to speak. "S-sir, I-I found it in some a-abandoned r-ruin in the forest. I-I don't know how I f-found it, s-sir. That's all I k-know." He stuttered, having trouble breathing.

Ganondorf muttered incoherently and violenty threw him to the floor. "Throw him back into his cell until I say otherwise!" he informed the guards.

The guards shifted uncomfortably, and the captain finally spoke up. "No disrespect, my lord, but the prison cells are all full at the moment." He said quietly, seeking not to offend his lord.

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow at the remark. "What? You just took him away from one, didn't you? What trickery is this?!" he spat back at the captain.

The captain froze in fear. "S-sir, my apologies, b-but since we took him from his cell it has been filled with other prisoners, should we put him in there with the others?"

Ganondorf considered the idea. _If he was imprisoned together with those other rioters, they could start a rebellion of some sort, I can't take that risk. _"No, do not put him in there, it is too crowded." He thought for a moment. _Perhaps it would be easier to just execute him…No, that could make him a martyr, and I might be able to get more information out of him later. _"Is there absolutely no other place to store him?" he asked the captain.

"No, sir, there isn't." He thought for a moment, an idea coming into his mind. "Well, there is one possibility, though I doubt you would find it to your liking, my lord." He spoke calmly. "The only avaiable room to put him in is _her _room, my lord."

Ganondorf muttered for a moment, thinking about the situation. Surely it wouldn't hurt to put him together with _her_, would it? It was the only possibility anyway. He finally nodded. "Very well. Guards, lead him to _her_ room, and secure the exit even more!" he ordered the guards, who grabbed Link and hauled him out the door. Ganondorf quietly returned to examining the stone, thinking about his next move.

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Link was hauled through the dark, long corridors by the guards who just walked quietly, never uttering a single word. He figured they were up in a tower of some sort, considering they had been walking up some stairs for a few minutes. Finally, they arrived at a door at the top. They opened it quickly and shoved him inside, quickly shutting and locking it after him. He examined the room thoroughly. It was a nice room, actually. It was rather large with nice furniture and two beds, Light came in from a window, though it was sealed by heavy bars, and illuminated the room with an eerie glow. He silently walked up to the window and peeked outside. It was a rather nice view, since the tower was so tall, and he could see a large landscape spread out before him.

"Who are you?"

He jumped in surprise and spun around, only to be greeted by a figure in a long, white dress. She was female, probably around his age, with long golden hair and blue eyes. She looked at him with clear uncertainty. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

Link sighed. "I honestly don't know myself, they just threw me in here because there was no other prison avaiable, though I must admit this doesn't really look like one." He replied softly.

She sighed deeply in reply. "It is, though it doesn't seem so. I have been locked in here for as long as I can remember, only being avaible to leave at certain times, but never being able to leave the castle, and always under surveillance from guards." She said in sadly, staring at the floor.

"What did you do to become imprisoned in the first place?" he asked with curiousity. Her head jerked up at the question, and she sighed once again.

"I don't know. I have never done anything wrong. Ganondorf only told me he "took care of me" after my parents died, and this is his way of assuring my safety. As if I believe anything that tyrant would tell me…" she whispered silenty, walking up to stand beside him. "What did you do to be sent here?" she asked, turning her head to look him in the eye. She found him to be quite attractive, but quickly banished the thought.

"Nothing, really. All I did was find some strange stone in some ruins. When I showed it to a jeweller they just grabbed me and threw me into jail. After some interrogation from the "Big Guy" here, they threw me in here." He replied with a sad look. "Everything bad seems to happen to me lately. First, everyone in my village were slaughtered by royal guards, and now this…"

She was startled by his tale, and she saw the sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, a single tear sliding down her cheek. Link just shook his head. "It's not your fault. It's Ganondorf's. Someday he'll get what's coming for his crimes." He said angrily.

She found herself admiring his bluntness, and put her hand on his shoulder, making him turn in her direction. "What's your name?" she asked softly, looking into his deep blue eyes.

"Link." He simply replied. "What's yours?" he asked in response.

She hesitated for a moment before replying. "My name….is Zelda."

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Sorry for the wait, been kinda busy these days. Was quite a long chapter though. By the way, I'm looking for characters! If you have any suggestions, be free to submit them! I want to know name, age, personality, background and weapon of choice! See ya!

GRABBING CHARACTERS! xD


	6. Gallows

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters who originate from the Legend of Zelda games by Nintendo, the others are mine!**

**Chapter 6**

Time passed slowly for the two "criminals" imprisoned in the tower room of the castle. Since they had nothing else to do, they passed the time by talking about average things and about themselves. Since Zelda knew nothing of the outside world, Link told her about things she'd never heard of, as the forests or the grand lakes of the country…things she had never seen. She grew fascinated by the simple things in common lives, and she longed even more to be free.

"…And if you stand by the lake at dawn the water turns orange, spreading slowly to the sky. It's very beautiful." He said. _Like you_, he added to himself. As much as he tried to deny it, he found her very beautiful. Her flowing golden hair in contrast to her crystal blue eyes matched with a smoot face and a beautiful smile. He found her smile intoxicating, as if it washed away all troubles. _What, am I going crazy? _he thought to himself and tried to shake off the weird feeling.

"I hope I get to see it one day.." she sighed, lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She grew sad when she realized all the things she had missed, but she wouldn't allow herself to cry. It was a sign of weakness, and she didn't want him to see it, or he could think of her as a spoiled brat.

"I'm sure you will, someday! I mean, come on! How long can they keep us in here?" he replied, sounding a little too cheerful.

"For the rest of our lives if they feel like it." she shrugged, not caring much, it was her reality anyway.

His eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open for a moment, before he regained his composure. He sighed and sat down in a chair by the window, gazing out into the open air.

"Never thought it would be this frustrating to be locked in." he whispered quietly, scratching his head.

"Oh come on, you've been here for like eight hours, and you're complaining already? Stay in here for eightteen years like me and you'll know what frustration is." she responded dryly, irritation flooding through her for a second, but she instantly regretted her little outburst. "Sorry.

"No worries."

Suddenly the door shot open and a dozen guards stationed themselves throughout the large room, and a man who seemed like a captain or something stepped forth, holden a scroll in front of his face.

"In the name of the royal crown and lordship of Hyrule, Miss Zelda Harkinian and the little brat whose name we do not know have been found guilty of insurgence and treason against the nation, and are hereby sentenced to death by hanging. The hanging shall take place at nightfall in public at the plaza of Kakariko Village, be ready to leave in three hours!" he proclaimed sourly and motioned for the guards to leave. The captain himself went last and shut the door after him with a large thud.

Both Link and Zelda stood with widened eyes in shock at the news. Zelda struggled to speak, only low whispers escaping his lips. Zelda was on the verge of tears, her face in her hands, trembling slightly.

"I-I…I can't believe this! Who do they think they are?! They have no right to do this, we haven't even done anything! I mean, insurgence? Yeah right!" he practically yelled in anger.

Zelda now started to sob, tears escaping her eyes. "Ganondorf can do whatever he wants…Noone can stop him, nor does anyone try to…" she trailed off, finally erupting into hysterical sobs, trembling violently.

Link slowly approached her, trying to figure out what to do to at least soothe her a little. He sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She buried her face in his shirt, crying her heart out, drenching his shirt in tears, clinging onto him helplessly. He rubbed heart back soothingly and whispered comforting words to her. "It's okay…it's okay…" he whispered into her ear, causing her sobs to lighten a bit. She sniffed for another minute and slowly removed herself from his embrace, eyeing him with tear-stained, red eyes. She formed a small smile on her lips and embraced him again. Somehow it felt comforting to feel his arms around her, rubbing her back. She felt safe somehow. Soon her eyes felt heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

Link laid her down on her bed and pulled the sheets over her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, and he felt a tingling inside his chest for some reason he couldn't comprehend. He sighed and went to his own bed, trying to get some sleep, but failing miserably.

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She woke up with a start as the door slammed open, and the guards took their usual positions. "Time to go, get up!" the captain ordered. She reluctantly got off her bed and walked alongside Link out the door, following the guards. She was shaking slightly from fear, and Link put a comforting arm around her, calming her a little. They were taken to a carriage and they were shoved inside, and it started moving in the direction of Kakariko. Zelda rested her head on Link's shoulder, drained of tears, and sniffed sadly.

"Don't be afraid." he said, rubbing her shoulder slowly.

Zelda looked up into his eyes and a small smile appeared on her pale face. She gave him a thankful nod and embraced him tightly, closing her eyes.

After a while the carriage stopped and the door opened. They slowly climbed up and the guards shoved them up the stairs to the plaza stage. Two gallows were readied, nooses dangling in the air in a mocking manner. The executioner stood ready at the side, a black mask covering his face.

Link and Zelda were put beside each other and the executioner tied the nooses around their throats. The onlooking crowd were whispering fiercely, some of them even throwing insults at the guards and the executioner. The captain went up on stage in front of the "criminals" and cleared his voice.

"These two people have been found guilty of insurgence and treason against the nation, and are hereby sentenced to death. They have conspired against his royal Highness and various other crimes, and now justice shall be done upon them! May the Goddesses have mercy on your souls!" he finished, walking off the stage, signaling for the executioner to begin.

Zelda bit back a few tears, and closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was happening. "Link…" she began.

"Mmm?" he replied, eyeing her closely, hands bound by chains.

"I love you." she whispered quietly, looking him in the eyes.

Link managed a small smile. "I love you too, Zelda" he whispered to her. He leaned in and their lips soon met, giving them both some relaxation. He grazed his lips over hers, he swore they had to be made of silk, abruptly stopping when the executioner tore them apart. She smiled lightly at him before closing her eyes once again.

The executioner went over to the switch and carefully placed a large hand on it, preparing to drop both of them into their separate holes in the ground.

He suddenly shrieked in pain when a large beam of fire pierced his chest, letting him fall back on the floor, the flames consuming his flesh. Over him stood a hooded figure, dressed in dark black and red garments with a hood covering his face. He laughed loudly and twitched his fingers.

"Now that's what I call an entrance!" he yelled in exhiliration. He turned his head and looked at the two lovers who stared at him with shock. "What?" he asked with a grin grazing his features. "Not even a thank you?" he mocked and chuckled slightly. He made a motion with his hand and the roped binding their necks snapped in two, releazing them. Link quickly embraced Zelda, holding her for a second, before noticing the armed guards rushing through the tight crowd. "We better get out of here, huh?" the hooded man asked, touching both their shoulders, and started muttering words of power. A brilliant light enshrouded them, and they disappeared from the scene.

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What the hell happened?? Who is this robed figure, and why did he save our young brats? Stay tuned to find out! REVIEWS!!


	7. Ambush

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters who originate from the Legend of Zelda games by Nintendo, the others are mine!**

**Chapter 7**

"They did what?!" Ganondorf yelled furiously at the whimpering guards in his chamber. He slammed his fist down on the table in front of him, breaking it in two as if it was a twig.

"S-Sir, we don't know that ourselves, sir. T-The execution was going as planned but suddenly a cloaked figure appeared and teleported the criminals away somehow. W-We c-couldn't d-do anything! P-please spare our p-pitiful lives, my lord!" the captain stuttered, kneeling on the stone floor.

Ganondorf muttered angrily, cursing their incompetence. He had thought the best move was just to get rid of them under some false accusations, but it had backfired fiercely. The damage was done, now he had to repair it.

"Send out search parties! I don't care how many men you send, just find them! If you haven't found them in three days, I will have your head next, captain!" he roared at the terrified guards. "Y-yes, s-sir!" the captain replied and hurried out of the room.

Ganondorf muttered to himself and went back to his studies, thinking about the possible consequenses.

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They materialized among the trees of the nearby woods and landed on the ground with a thud. Link scratched his head and inspected the surroundings. Zelda sat on the ground some distance from him and rubbed her forehead, groaning slightly. There was no sign of the hooded figure who saved them earlier. Who was he, anyway?

"You okay?" he asked her, kneeling beside her, helping her rise.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a little shaken." she replied. "Where is that man from earlier?" she asked, looking around.

"Talking about me?" a voice behind them said. They turned around to find the strange man, still hooded. "You two really know how to get into a mess. What did you do anyway?" he asked bluntly.

Link eyed him suspiciously, hesitating slightly. "Nothing. Ganondorf just wanted to get rid of us, I guess…" he muttered quietly. The man started laughing at the remark, turning around to them. "That would seem like him, yes. He's never been one to follow justice. You strange fellows must be a threat to him somehow, care to tell me how?" he asked.

"You're calling us strange?" Zelda responded dryly. "We're not the ones who suddenly stopped an execution and started laughing, bragging about his nice entrance." The man smirked, chuckling slightly.

"Well, at least I don't start making out while I'm being executed, after knowing the other part for a day." he mocked the youngsters, who blushed heavily. "Bloody teenagers…" he laughed, shaking his head.

Link raised an eyebrow. "Hey, how did you know we were imprisoned for a day? It's not like it was common knowledge." he asked sourly, eyeing the man suspiciously. The man froze for a moment, clearing his voice.

"I know a lot of things. Too much, really. I saw you," he pointed at Link, "get arrested in the village, does that answer your question? Oh, by the way, your little green haired friend is worried about you, kid." he responded calmly.

"Saria? Where is she? Is she alright?" Link asked with worry. The man chuckled and silenced him with a hand. "Don't worry, she's alright. She's in a small cottage in the village, staying with some new friend she found." He eyed the treetops and muttered something.

Zelda cleared her voice quickly. "Who are you, anyway? And why are you helping us? Why should we trust you?" she asked bitterly, keeping her eyes on his hood. The man sighed.

"A lot of questions at once. Kids are so impatient these days…" he chuckled. "Are you sure you want to know my name?" he smirked at them. Zelda nodded slowly. "Why shouldn't we?" she asked.

"Well, all the people who found out died before their time," he responded. Their eyes widened in shock. "And no, I didn't kill them." he added quickly. "Why I am helping you, you ask? Well…Let's just say I harbor no love for the crown. Besides, It was kind of fun, don't you think?" he replied, laughing. "And for the final question, it seems that you two don't have any choice but to trust me. You would be captured soon enough. There are search parties out for you now, you know. Besides, don't you think saving your lives makes me at least a little trustworthy, hmm?" he sneered at the youngsters, who just nodded slowly, sighing a bit.

Link's curiousity got the better of him. "At least show us your face." he said without thinking. The man looked at him and raised an eyebrow unknownst to them. "Very well…" he replied quietly and raised his hand to his hood. He pulled it back, revealing long silvery hair, reaching down to his shoulders. His eyes were slightly green with some crimson along the pupils. He looked no older than his mid-twenties, and he had a tatoo resembling some kind of vortex on his forehead. "Pleased? Now, let's go before the guards find us here." he said and began walking off into the woods. Link and Zelda didn't move, they just stared at the back of the walking stranger, who suddenly stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Hey, kids! Start walking already!" he yelled, and the two immediately obeyed, hurrying after him.

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After walking for a while they stumbled upon a grove, and the man motioned for them to stop. He made a motion with his hands and conjured up some food and drink. Two plates of rice and chicken were dropped on the ground, and two goblets along with them. "Rest for a bit, replenish your strength. I will be back shortly." he said and disappeared, leaving the two alone. They slowly sat down and ate, finding it very fresh and tasteful. Link eyed Zelda in the corner of his eye. "Zel?"

Her eyes shot up to meet his. She mentally snickered at the nickname. "Mm?"

"Did you mean what you said at the gallows?" he asked quietly. "Or was it just the stress of it all?"

Her head dropped and she looked at the ground. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't know…It just felt right. You make me feel safe, somehow." she replied, looking sad, "It's okay if you don't feel the same…I'm sorry if I offended you…" she whispered, not daring to look him in the eyes.

Link sighed and put an arm around her pulling her into his embrace. "It's okay. I didn't get offended. You're right…It felt right, somehow." he said quietly and a small smile grazed his face. She also smiled a little at his reply.

They both jumped as there was a sound in the bushes at the edge of the grove. They eyed the bushes and suddenly a dozen or so guards jumped out, brandishing their weapons at the pair. Link shoved Zelda behind him and stood before her defensively, despite being unarmed. "Kill them!" one of the guards yelled and the guards ran forth swinging their swords and axes wildly. The first strikes were clumsy, and Link managed to dodge them, all the time keeping an eye out for Zelda. He rolled under the axe of the nearest guard and kicked his leg, causing him to fall to the ground. A female cry reached his ears, and he looked back to see a guard standing over Zelda, axe raised high over his head. Link rushed and pushed Zelda out of the way, the axe biting deep into his right shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain, clutching his shoulder tightly. The guards surrounded them and pointed their swords at them. Link crouched over Zelda and breathed heavily, protecting her with his life. The nearest guard raised his axe high. Link closed his eyes and braced himself for death. The axe swung with great force, but hit solid air an inch away from Link's face. Confusion spread throughout the guards, and they all started attacking the pair on the ground, but no matter how hard they tried, the invisible shield surrounding the pair held true, preventing any harm. The guards cursed loudly.

"It isn't very nice nor honorable to attack two unarmed youths when you're that many, you know." a voice behind them spoke, and the guards turned around to face a silver-haired man with dark robes. The man raised both his hand and muttered in some trange tongue, and two flaming swords appeared in his hands. He smirked and rushed the guards with extreme speed, slashing through their armor as if they were air, shocking the remaining guards. They quickly stabbed him with their weapons, but quickly realized that he too was protected with a shield of some sort. Fear grazed their features and they defended themselves in panic. Guards quickly fell to the ground until there were only one left. The lone man, who seemed to be their leader, yelled loudly and dropped his weapon. He turned around and and ran for his life. The robed man made a _'tsk'_ sound and flames enveloped his hand. He threw the fire at the retreating man and and he screamed in pain as the flames enveloped him. He rolled around on the ground, trying to douse the flames, but soon enough he stopped moving. The man chuckled slightly and turned around to the youngsters on the ground. "Hell, I can't even leave for five minutes without you getting into more trouble." he mocked, laughing a bit.

Link was on the ground, breathing heavilly, dizzy from blood loss, with Zelda crouching over him and desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "Please, don't die. Don't die!" she cried desperately, tears flowing down her cheeks. She looked up at the robed man. "Can't you do anything?" she pleaded, sobbing heavilly.

The man walked up to the pair and motioned for her to stay back. He crouched down at Link's side and inspected the wounded shoulder. He placed his hand over the shoulder and muttered some strange words. An eerie green glow enveloped his hand and slowly spread down onto his shoulder. Link groaned in pain, shaking violently, and Zelda quickly grabbed his hand tightly. The man kept muttering words and lowered his index finger to the end of the cut, and slowly traced along the wound, closing it as if it was a zipper. When he was done he sighed and grabbed a piece of cloth to clean the blood. "That should do it." he said, rising.

Link grunted and Zelda helped him sit. She threw her arms around him and cried into his chest. "I thought you would die!" she sobbed and he placed his arms around her for comfort. He used his hand to tilt her chin up, and he gave her a small smile. "It's okay. I'm fine." he whispered, stroking her chin slowly, removing her tears.

She smiled through her sobs and put her arms around his neck and kissed him once again, tears flowing freely down her cheecks. Link returned the kiss gently and put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

"Not again…Get a room, you two." the man sighed, turning his head away. Zelda giggled slightly and helped Link to stand up. He muttered a 'thanks' to the robed figure and the latter nodded in response.

"We better get out of here before more of these guards come looking for their lost party." he said and motioned for the two to follow. They nodded and together they walked further into the woods.

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Any comments? I know, I might have rushed them a bit into their relationship. But you know, today's teenagers with their hormones, hehe. Reviews please!


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